Help expectant moms navigate the sea of stuff

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Working in research at Eric Mower + Associates, I consider myself pretty savvy when it comes to all-things-marketing. After all, I live and breathe the industry daily. I’m often knee-deep in developing research studies to better understand consumer behavior, shopping habits, the impact of digital on consumers… and much more. But this summer, my work really hit close to home as I dove into our EMA New Moms proprietary research study around how expectant and new moms think, feel and shop.

Simply put, I am a first time expectant mom who just crossed the halfway point in her pregnancy. And quite honestly, I underestimated the sheer magnitude of what shopping as an expectant mom really means or entails. With that – here’s a few of my observations, and some implications for brands:

There’s an inane amount of pregnancy information out there, coming from every place, every angle. It’s somewhat navigable because there are many places to get answers to the questions I have, from tools and trackers to search engines galore.Implication: Tools for pregnant women that provide a solution are good. Promote them and make them easy to find, access and use.

There’s so much “stuff.” I know that sounds generic, but it’s the best catch-all I could think to use (admittedly, pregnancy brain applies here). Simply put, babies need lots of stuff, but not the kinds of things that you acquire over time. I know a crib, stroller and car seat are must-haves, but what exactly is a “layette,” and do I really need a bouncer and a swing? If I have a crib, do I need a bassinet? Again – there’s so much out there, calling the attention of expecting parents every which way.Implication: Checklists that feature “must-haves” and “nice-to-haves,” along with defining some of the key product attributes and how they benefit baby (and me as the prospective parent) would be unbelievably helpful.

Brands- remember that I don’t know what I don’t know. From baby gear to bottle type to nipple flow, this whole world of baby is brand new to me. Yes, I’ve purchased cute baby gifts for friends and family, but until I’ve gone through the registry process for my own child, I couldn’t possibly understand or appreciate all that goes into choosing those items. What I need, and what I suspect other expectant moms like me need, is a little help – some consolidation, some guidance.Implication: Push things that will draw my attention and help guide me. Give me a list. Things like: “The top 10 things every new mom needs,” “Nine essentials for baby,” “The best new baby items of 2013.” Babies “R” Us gets it. I was perusing their site recently and came across a page touting a must-have registry checklist. Wow – expectant mom gold.

In summation- one of the best ways to make an expectant mom feel like you understand what’s going on in her life is to help her manage the sheer volume of information out there. Provide a “best of” list of your products or services that she can peek at, because she may have had no idea that something you offer is just what she’s looking for.